Only 6.2% of Japan’s managerial posts held by women

Women hold only 6.2 percent of the managerial posts at Japan’s companies and just 20.9 percent of the companies surveyed expect that rate to increase, a survey by research firm Teikoku Data Bank Ltd. said Thursday.

The figures show that the government faces a high hurdle in its quest to raise the ratio of female business leaders to 30 percent by 2020 under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s revamped economic growth strategy.

According to the survey of 11,017 companies in late July, 51.5 percent said they have no women in management.

Of the companies who do have female managers, those where the ratio stands at 30 percent or more made up 5.3 percent.

Of the companies surveyed, 17.4 percent said the ratio had grown over the past five years and 72.8 percent said it hadn’t.

In the future, 61.0 percent said the ratio is not expected to change and 20.9 percent said it is likely to increase.

By industry, the retailing, real estate, financial and service sectors have more women in management, as opposed to the manufacturing, construction and transport industries, the research firm said.

Since many companies pointed to the difficulty women have in juggling careers with their families, the research firm said it is important for working conditions to improve so women can have both.

In some ways Japan is still a developing country. We need to change the inefficient and unhealthy way of working for long hours in order for us to have balanced family life and support child rearing. This is not only the problem of Japanese women but of men and the society. We require a major reform now.